The 5 Most Annoying Coworkers. And How to Deal with Them.

If you work in an office, chances are you have come in contact with these 5 annoying coworkers. Here’s help on how to handle them.

We all have them—those annoying coworkers in the office who really get on our nerves and do the most. Despite trying to avoid them at every turn, they are always around, blowing your high and simply making the workspace a negative place to be. Since I know firsthand how these killjoys can affect your mood, I’ve come up with a list on the 5 most annoying coworkers and how to deal with them. Use this as a reference sheet for when that aggravating and annoying colleague tries to infiltrate your atmosphere.

The whiny coworker

This is the man or woman in the office who complains and whines about everything. They always have a story about why they can’t do something, or how the world is going to end tomorrow, or how painful it is working in your office can be. This is the doomsday cubicle mate who never seems to be happy and who always tends to suck the life out of the room.

They are often hard to deal with because they always seem to see the glass half empty while complaining about it at every turn. And what’s worse about the whiny coworker is that they always seem to have know what the problem is but never seem to offer a solution.

How to deal with them:

With the whiny coworker, you have to limit your contact and treat them with kid gloves when you do encounter them. Don’t let them affect your mood no matter how distraught or negative they are, and always give them a smile even though they probably don’t deserve it. Hopefully you will be too joy-filled that they will begin to see you as kryptonite and will limit their contact with you.

The lazy coworker

We all know that guy or gal who is always trying to pass the buck when it comes to their duties or responsibilities. They never seem to have their work in on time, and is pretty much late to work and to meetings despite numerous reminders. These types of coworkers could care less about your feelings or anyone else’s. They aren’t only lazy but selfish, and they make it harder for everyone else on the team. Out of all of the annoying coworkers, they are probably the most annoying.

How to deal with them:

Professionally call them out on their behavior each and every time you see fit. Others will also follow suit, and with your example, probably get the powers that be to handle it on their end. Do not allow them to get away with not holding up their end—document every instance if need be.

Other than that, just stay as far away from them as you can.

The line-crosser coworker

This is the coworker who doesn’t understand or exercise boundaries very well. This means that they often make things uncomfortable for others, and perhaps has no filters. This coworker can be the one who constantly tells obscene and sexist jokes, or overshares a little too much about their love life. No matter the case, they are the worst to be around—you probably cringe every time you see them. During election season, these types of coworkers come out in droves.

How to deal with them:

The line-crosser is also an avid rule breaker, and probably goes against many of the company policies and rules in the employee handbook. Since this is the case, let a manager or HR do the dirty work. Don’t feel bad about expressing the way this person makes you feel in the professional work environment.

You could always have a one-on-one with the line crosser to let them know that they make you feel uncomfortable. This may or may not work, but could be the first line of defense against their poor and uncomfortable behavior.

The Meanie coworker

These people are truly hateful individuals and often have negative dispositions. They appear to never be pleased or happy, and never have anything positive to say about anything. They are course, rude, and they bring you down just by being around them—it’s like they suck the air out of the room.

If negativity were an occupation, they would get a raise every time.

Different from the whiny coworker, this person is pretty much a tight-fisted person who goes out of their way to be sour. In some instances, they may be overly aggressive as well.

How to deal with them:

Kill ’em with kindness. Our human behavior might lead us to believe that we should mirror the behavior that we see being given to us, but this does absolutely no good. Be kind, smile, and try to work with them despite their shortcomings. They may have something going on in their life that fuels their poor moods.

When all possible, leave them alone, but if you have to work with them, try your best to remain pleasant. Don’t let them sour your mood, either, or they win. And if they are mean to the point where they are harmful to you or others, then report their behavior and the incident immediately.

The over-confident coworker

These are the colleagues who are always feeling themselves, even when they shouldn’t be. They never admit to making a mistake and have a hard time taking criticism. They can be difficult to work with because they are often unshakeable and are filled with delusions of grandeur.

How to deal with them:

Be professional and courteous and have facts to back up your findings, which is impossible to refute. It takes a lot of patience to deal with their overconfidence but the truth never lies, and can be your best defense against them.

If you are working in an office or with others, chances are you’ve run into at least one of these “characters”.

How do you deal with annoying coworkers?

Need more tips? Read Five Tips for Dealing with Difficult Coworkers.